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Aussie Invader - World Land Speed Record Challenger
Aussie Invader 5R - Rosco McGlashan Presents Australia’s World Land Speed Record Contender
If anyone has bought the latest kids' book below, we would really appreciate it if you could leave a review on Amazon. We haven't got any yet, and these really help with the book's visibility. Thanks#STEMLearning #stemeducation #stemforkids #landspeedracing
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As far as we are aware, no videos exist of Rosco or Wally Pushkey riding Krazy Horse in the 70s. We used a real photo and asked AI to generate one. If anyone has a video, we would love to see it. Best 1/4 mile time 9.1 secs 172 mph #v8motorcycle #dragracing #dragracingphotos @followers @top fans Drag Racing Australian Super Sedan Drag Racing Drag Racing Performance Australia Australian Street Rodding
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Worldwide delivery for just $5 U.S. books.by/mark-j-read
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Another year has flown by, and we find that the days are getting shorter and more difficult to accomplish tasks that were much easier in the past.A summary showing some of our team's adventures in 2025 follows.We enjoyed an influx of visitors to our workshop, some of the estimated 500 visitors were The American Car Club, Western Power, Forrestfield Men’s Shed, The YPO Group, RAAF 77 Squadron, West Coast Street Car Club, Vintage Classic Car Club, Veteran Car Club, University of the Third Age, Gingin Men’s Shed, The mighty HSV Owners Club of WA, The Wood Group, lots of interstate and international groups, supporters club members and their friends and families, and several team meetings. We were again privileged to be invited to the Australian International Airshow at Avalon in Victoria. This was a massive logistical undertaking and could only have been achieved with the outstanding sponsorship we have enjoyed from Heather and David (Spider) from the Pilbara Heavy Haulage Girls Group. Two PINK semi-trailers were used, with the main section of our car in a forty-foot container and the nose and front wheel pack in a 20-footer. These lovely folk are the salt of the earth, and we are privileged to have them on our team. Cheryl and I decided to fly this time, but we wish we had driven. Our reception at Avalon was highly STEM-focused, with hundreds of young people asking many questions and showing strong interest in our project. That prompted our guru team member, Mark Read, to write his second book, “How to Build the World’s Fastest Car”. This book is brilliantly written, covers our cars' construction from A to Z, and is already seeing strong sales.Please visit our website to learn more - aussieinvader.com/how-to-build-the-worlds-fastest-car/ We drove over 15,000 kilometres, joining our lifelong mate Dave Warby and his wife Lesa and the awesome Spirit of Australia 2 team at Blowering Dam, NSW, to witness some very fast passes in his jet-powered boat. David exceeded 280 mph, but weather conditions turned against him, so a new date is set for early 2026.We also made an effort to catch up with some of our interstate team members. We heard that Trevor and Vonny Menzel, who were instrumental in us achieving our Aussie Land speed record, were on Kangaroo Island in South Australia for their wedding anniversary. We surprised them with our visit and spent several hours discussing our past and plans to get our Aussie Invader 5R car up to speed. Whilst in SA, we could not pass up the chance to meet up with our great friend John Clark and partner Claudette. John was legendary for the composite work he and Lindsay Varcoe created, with both spending significant time volunteering in a highly challenging environment. John was renowned for managing three racetracks: Aba Dahbi, the Bend in SA, and Barbagallo in WA.I was privileged to be inducted into Joondalup City’s Walk of Fame last week. This was a great honour, and it is a privilege to be part of our city’s many other achievers, including Daniel Ricciardo and educational and sporting heroes.We now have displays in Perth’s three most prominent Museums and the RAC Walk of Fame. All we need now is a financial backer or sponsor to share in the international recognition we are receiving for our current documentaries by Impossible Engineering, Driver 61, and many YouTube clips.In closing I must say a very special thank you to our many supporters who have been behind our project for a lot longer period than I could have ever envisaged, a special thank you to one man based in the UK who works really hard in a tough job but always supports us keeping our motivational levels primed and our heads to the grindstone, an outstanding man, thank you Nigel.All the very best to all our supporters and friends, have a ripper Christmas and an even better New Year.Rosco, Cheryl and the Aussie Invader Team.@followers @top fans
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Our good friends from the HSV Owners Club invited Cheryl and myself to come along to Wanneroo Raceway and say g'day and check out their club members inspiring car collections/creations and watch them do some laps around the track. I was excited to be offered a ride in Chris Caruso's yellow Corvette and had a chance to see how some other car enthusiasts spend their weekends, and how professionally organized they operate. Thanks Jason, James and Chantelle, Chris and the whole HSVO gang. A ripper day! @top fans HSV Owners Club of WA
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Thank you for all your very kind comments on my recent induction into the Joondalup Walk of Fame. #perthnow
Joondalup’s Walk of Fame welcomes five new inductees
www.perthnow.com.au
The five join the likes of cricket legends Justin Langer, Brownlow medallist Matt Priddis, and Formula 1 star Daniel Ricciardo on Joondalup’s Walk of Fame.2 CommentsComment on Facebook
Recently, I was asked to retell a story about our friend and long-time engineering guru John “Ackers” Ackroyd...As everyone knows, Land Speed Racing and John "ACKERS" Ackroyd go hand in hand. March 1994, in the wilderness of South Australia, John sat patiently, foolscap pad and pencil in hand, in the back of the start truck, waiting for me and Aussie Invader 2 to leave the line. Afterburner on and Aussie Invader 2 streaked down the course. A short time later, the crackle of the headsets relayed times and speeds as the car raced through the timing traps. Approximately six or seven minutes after that, the start truck arrived at the now-stopped car. John jumped out of the back with a page full of calculus, no slide rule or calculator and proudly told me that had we started one kilometre further back, I would have exceeded the then-current World Land Speed Record by a long shot. Unfortunately, a high-speed return run was not viable because water over the track at the other end reduced our braking area by several kilometres.This was when the Aussie Invader crew and I knew that they were in the presence of a legend. What a brilliant mind. So sadly missed over the last few years. RIP “ACKERS”. @followers @top fans Speed Record Club Land Speed Racing USA Fan Club! Bonneville Salt Flats Land Speed Racing Landspeed New Zealand Association Land Speed Racing Land Speed Racing
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I was very honoured today to be inducted into the Joondalup Walk of Fame along with four other inductees. Opened in 2021, the Walk of Fame is located in Central Walk at the heart of Joondalup City Centre, and was created to publicly recognise members of the Joondalup community who have achieved success at an elite level in the fields of sport, education, business, and community service and leadership.
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This is a professional review of our new children’s book.👍Loved it! 😍Sturdy writing is fueled by nimble pacing and an entertaining, engaging style in this fascinating look at a very special vehicle!SynopsisAussie Invader 5R is a rocket-powered car built to smash the world land speed record. It has the power of 200 Formula One cars; its goal is to exceed 1,600 km/h (1,000 mph).This book will engage young boys and girls from first grade onward (ages six and up). It explains the mind-blowing science and engineering behind this incredible project, which has made this world-beating land speed car a reality.This book has been written by Mark J Read, who has worked on the Aussie Invader 5R project for sixteen years alongside land speed legend Rosco McGlashan. The book is beautifully illustrated with photos, CAD drawings, and easy-to-follow explanations.This book will ignite the imagination of any budding engineer, fast-car enthusiast, or rocket scientist. They will be blown away!Ever wanted to “kick the tires and light the fire”? How ‘bout feeling “the need, the need for speed”? Or going “where no one has gone before”? You can do all of the above and much more by diving into Mark Read’s eminently engaging and highly readable, How to Build the World’s Fastest Car: An A-to-Z Guide for Young Minds.Young readers and those who love them will enjoy learning about the fascinating world of land speed racing as well as the science and engineering behind it in How to Build the World’s Fastest Car.Aussie Invader 5R is a rocket-powered car built to smash the world land speed record. It’s designed and constructed by a team in Australia led by Rosco McGlashan, the Australian land speed record holder. The car is mighty impressive. In fact, the Aussie Invader 5R has the power of 200 Formula One cars. Its goal is to exceed 1,600 km/h (1,000 mph).This book covers the “nuts and bolts” of this impressive fast mover, including how and why the Aussie Invader 5R was designed and what designers’ intend to accomplish with said design. It explains some complicated concepts in clear, easy-to-understand language as they relates to uber fast cars and land speed records. Also the “how and why” of aerodynamics. Like how to avoid unwanted lift and minimize unwanted drag. Braking, brakes, fuel, G-forces, hydraulics, and the “Fred Flintstone” ground brake. (You’ll get that if you read the book.) Also, the driver’s cockpit. Where the driver sits and steers – emergency ejector seat not included!Each concept or topic is accompanied by colorful illustrations that augment and enhance the text. For example, aerodynamics aficionados and others will be fascinated with the diagrams and descriptions of a jet engine and how it works. (I learned a lot!)Readers also learn how land speed racing comes with plenty of math as well as calculations, equations and formulas. Also, some “Fast Facts,” like how long it takes the Aussie Invader 5R to reach peak speed and how long it takes to stop safely.Stand-out sections include Joint Ventures. This section highlights the importance of teamwork, “giving the best of yourself” and working hard at school. (I loved the list of How to Make Great Things Happen.) The chapter on going supersonic and breaking the sound barrier is terrific! Ditto the chapter on You. As a mom, I especially appreciated the chapter on Safety Should Always Come First. Thank you!Speaking of teamwork, did you know that everybody who works on the Aussie Invader 5R project is a volunteer and unpaid? “We all do this because we love the challenge and are motivated to see the world land speed record broken,” writes author Mark Read.How cool is that?!Sturdy writing is fueled by nimble pacing and an entertaining and engaging style. The tone is positive and upbeat. It’s educational without sounding like school. Lively illustrations will captivate young readers and keep them turning pages until the very end. A list of Words and Terms and a scannable QR code for explanation of same is included. There’s also a Weight and Measurement Conversion Chart.This book will appeal to budding mechanics, aerospace engineers, science and technology buffs and anyone who’s ever dared to dream big, felt the need for speed or thrilled to hearing “let’s kick the tires and light the fire.” Oh yeah.Reviewed byKristine L.#bookreviewersofinstagram #booksforkids #kidsbooks #booksforchristmas #kidsbook #bookrecommendations2025
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